Spurs have been keen to buy the 25-year-old Mexican for some time and will step up their interest after it became public that he has grown increasingly frustrated at his lack of opportunities at Old Trafford especially in season that culminates in a World Cup.

Adebayor has struggled since he gained a permanent move to Spurs last year and is already behind Roberto Soldado and Jermain Defoe in the pecking order.

Spurs had hoped he would leave last summer but a significant stumbling block is his wages said to worth up to £175,000-a-week.

Arsenal have also shown an interest in Hernández but United are unlikely to want to sell until next summer at the earliest and particularly to a Premier League rival.

The priority for United manager David Moyes is to strengthen his team’s midfield although he is aware that Hernández is frustrated.

The Mexican, who has over 2.5 million followers on Twitter, recently retweeted the report by Sky Sports Football stating he “will have to consider his future at Man United if he does not play regularly.”

Signing Hernández would call into question Defoe’s first-team chances at Spurs but Villas-Boas has insisted he will not sell the 31-year-old in January.

Speculation has mounted that Defoe could move on but when asked, Villas-Boas said: “No. We are pretty happy with the goals he is producing. He is on nine already so it is a great start for him and it doesn’t change our perspective regarding him.”

Villas-Boas also claimed that Defoe’s chances of making England’s World Cup squad will not be affected even though he has not been a regular Premier League starter for Spurs this season.

“I am not sure about Roy Hodgson’s selection process but what I have seen is that he has been counting on Jermain in the same way and has been included in all call-ups this season. So that wouldn’t appear to matter on his selection,” he said.

Defoe has been included as one of six strikers by the England manager for the forthcoming friendly matches against Chile and Germany and was in the squad throughout the qualifying campaign.

The striker has just one more year left on his contract after this season and there have not been any talks, so far, about a new deal.